1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to crop harvesting machines of the type that use rotary cutters, and more particularly to rotary cutters having fixed knives with multiple cutting surfaces such that the knives may be repositioned to expose a different cutting surface which may be used to sever the standing crop.
2. Description of Related Art
Wide cut rotary harvesters are commonly used to sever standing crops in the field and deposit the crop back onto the ground in the form of a windrow or swath to sever. It is known for harvesters to use a rotary style cutter bed located adjacent the front of the header framework for severing crop from the ground as the harvester moves across a field. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,158,201 to Pruitt et al. entitled “Rotary Mower Conditioner Having Improved Crop Flow” discloses a cutter bed that includes a series of rotary cutters spaced across the path of travel of the harvester and each being rotatable about its own upright axis. Typically, each of the cutters includes a generally elliptical, metal knife carrier and a pair of free swinging knives at opposites ends of the carrier.
Energy crops, such as sugar cane, grow in large clumps and the free swinging knives have a tendency to retract, resulting in poor cut off and excessive wear to the knife mounting hole and mounting components. It is desirable to have a clean cut with a minimum amount of shattering of the stubble. Based on the foregoing, it would be desirable to have a rotary header with improved cutters, and also having knives that provide multiple cutting surfaces.